Solar steam-generator



A. V. FOLSOM.

SOLAR STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I4. I9I9.

LQW., Mmmm My @I wm A. V. FLSULW.

SOLAR STEAM GENERATOR.

i V APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1919. LBWL Mmm July wm.,

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ltpecilication of Letters Patent.

Patented duly n, 192W,

Application nledl February la, i919. serial lilo. attiene.

To aZZwwm it may concern:

lie it known that ll, Arrri-riin V. lloi'isoiu, a citizen ot the United States, and a resident oi' Jacksonville, in the county oi Duval and citate of Florida, have invented certain new and useful improvements in @volar tlteamlrenerators, ot which the iollowinpr is a specication. y

My invention relates to improvements in solar steam generators, and it consists in the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed An object olf my invention is to provide a solar steam generator the principal teatui'es oit which consists ot suitable means ior containing water, disposed in such a way as to be heated by means of the rays trom the sun through the instrumentaliiy oi a re llector tor concentrating the rays thereon, other means being1 provided to turn or move the reflector in such a way as to always keep it facing the sun.

A turther vobject oi the invention resides in the provision of means in a solar steam generator, :tor supporting a tubular boiler in the Mfocal center ot a reflector that is arranged to revolve around the boiler, one being out oit contact with the other so as to prevent direct conduction oi the heat trom the boiler.

A further object oil2 the invention is to provide means whereby the supply oi water to the tubular boiler is normally kept at a predetermined level.

.A still further object oit the invention is to provide a tubular boiler tor a solar steam generator, which is arranged in such a way that the water is spread out in a relatively thin lilin so as to render the action oit the heat thereon more eil'ective in rapidly generating low pressure steam.

lOther objects and advantages will appear inthe following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion oi a battery oil' generators, the reflectors being turned to the zenith,

Fig. 2 is a detail section showing how the redectors are supported independently and out ot contact with the tubular boiler,

Fig. 3 -is a iront elevation ot a battery ot generators, parte being shown in section and other parte being broken away,

Fig. A is a detail cross section of the improved tubular boiler, and

llfig. 5 is an end view showing how 'the rellectoi's are slowly revolved to keep them acinp1 the sun.

ln carrying,` out my invention ll provide a tubular boiler 1 which is supported near its extremities in a suitable support 2. "Water is kept at a predetermined level in the boiler l by means ol' an automatic supply tank 3 in which the float-operated valve A controls the admission of water trom the supply tank 5. llhe Hoet 6 follows the level of the water in the tank 8, and when the water recedes to a predetermined level, the normally disalined openings 7 in the valve l and the tube 8 are moved into registration and more water flows in. i

A pipe 9 leads the water trom the supply tank 3 to the tubular boiler 1. A gooseneck 10 provides communication between the upper, portion oit the boiler and the space above the water in the supply tank. The pressure in the boiler and the supply tank are thus equalized. A valved ieed discharge pipe 11 at the other end oi the tubular boiler leads to any desired place where the low pressure steam generated by the steam generator is to be used.

Une or more reflectors 12 are disposed partly around the tubular boiler and are made to rotate with respect to the boiler so as to continuously focus the rays oi the sun on the boiler when the sun shines. llt is to be observed that the cross sectional shape of each reflector may be such as actual practice inay demonstrate to behest. .lFor exa ample, the reilector may be semi-circular as shown, or it may be parabolic, or any other desired shape. The tubular boiler is located as nearly as possible in the focal center of the redector, and as stated above, the re- Hectors are supported independently ot the tubular boiler so that there are no contactingn parts between the two, that might re* spelt-in an objectionable conducting away of eat.

Bearings 13 of any suitable desi n, support the hubs 14C of the reflectors. l ach ot the hubs is constructed substantially as shown in Fig. 2. Here the hub 14 has a flange 15 at one side, which is secured to the adjacent head 1b of the rellector at the right. A Harige 17 that is made a part of the lill) sprocket 18, is'secured to the adjacent head 16 of the other reflector at the left.

It Will be observed that in order to enable the assembling of these parts of the structure, the integral flange 17 and sprocket 18 is slipped on the hub and secured by any suitable means 19. The foregoing description o-'I' the hub structure illustrates only one of many Ways of supporting the reflectors, and in practice may readily be substituted by some equivalent structure.

A tube 22 of metal, or any other suitable material, is surrounded by a glass sleeve 23. The material of which the sleeve 23 is made is not confined exclusively to-glass but may be any other suitable heat retaining substance. An inner filler tube 24 is disposed concentrically With respect to the outer tube 22 and provides a relatively narrow space 25 in whichI4 the Water spreads out in a relatively thin film or layer.

The upper part of the filler tube 24 is flat at 26. The space 27 thus provided constitutes the reservoir in Which the loiv pressure steam collects. The tubes 22 and 24 are held spaced apart by stays or braces 28 of any' suitable design.-

Consider now the manner of turning the reflectors. A chain 29 is applied to each of the sprockets 18 of the hubs 14, and to a similar sprocket 30 on a countershaft 31 in back of the reflectors. A suitable number of sheaves 32 are carried by the countershaft 31, and upon each of these is Wound a cable 33 With a Weight 34 attached to the free end. A governor 35 of any suitable type is employed to regulate the speed of revolution of the countershaft 31. The Weights `34 are the immediate means by which the countershaft 31 is turned, and the various intermeshing gears illustrated in Fig. 5, serve to regulate the movement of the countershaft. The various gears are of the required ratios, and collectively act as a governor for the speed of the eountershaft 31.

In practice, the reflectors are preferably placed lengthwise, extending from north to south, so as to permit of an east to West sweep thereof. Although the open trough reflectors may be of any desired shape, they are preferably made half cylindrical as shown. The steam reservoir or chamber 27 is equal in height to approximately onethird of the diameter of the outside tube 22, and to have the space 25 filled with liquid to approximately tivo-thirds of the height of the diameter of the outside tube, is thought to be substantially correct.

Vhile the construction and arrangement of the solar steam generator as herein described and claimed, is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1.l A solar heater, comprising a reflector having heads and hubs, each provided with a bore in alinement, means for rotatably supporting the reflector at the hubs, a tubular boiler disposed longitudinally of the reflector'and extending through the aforesaid bores 1n cireumferentially spaced relation, means for fixedly supporting the tubular boiler, means having driving engagement With said hubs for turning the reflector, and means for regulating the rate of movement of said driving means.

2. A solar steam generator, comprising a reflector with heads and hubs attached thereto, each having a bore in axial alinement With the other, bearing means supporting the reflector at the hubs, a tubular boiler extending longitudinally of the reflector and beyond said hubs, said boiler being smaller in diameter than said bores to leave an annular space around the boiler inside of the hubs and thus avoid contact, and suitable means for fixedly supporting said boiler.

3. A solar steam generator, comprising a tubular boiler fixedly supported, means located inside of the boiler for spreading the Water out in a relatively thin laycr against a portion of the inner surface of the boiler, Said means being arranged to provide a steam chamber at the top, water supply means for the boiler, means embodied therein for automatically keeping the level of the Water in the boiler at a predetermined height, means for equalizing the pressures of the Water in the boiler and said supply means, a battery of reflectors rotatably 115 mounted with respect to the boiler, and including connecting hubs with bores larger than the tubular boiler to leave an annular space, means for rotatably supporting the battery of reflectors at the hubs, means in 120 driving connection with said hubs for rotating the reflectors to keep them facing the sun, and means in operative connection with said driving means for regulating the movement thereof.

4. In a solar steam generator, a boiler including a Water tube, a glass sleeve incasing the tube. a filler tube inside of the boiler tube, smaller in diameter than the boiler tube to form a space to be occupied by the 130 MII maarre tionship..

. 5. A solar heater9 comprising a boiler, and a reflector in tbe focus of whicli'tbe boiler is situated, tbe redector being complete to center all light rays on the boiler, with the exception of a baclr opening oit substantially tbe size ot the boiler shadow., to let air pass through When facing the Wind.

6. A solar heater, comprising a battery of rotatable reflectors, each reflector With end beads and connecting tubular hubs suitably journaled, and a boiler' co-extensive with said battery of reectors, extending there' through but spaced from the Walls of said hubs, and means providing tired supports t'or the boiler at its ends'.

7. A solar generator., comprising a battery ot reectors, each reflector with end heads adjacently spaced, and connecting tubular hubs With means in which they are journaled; a boiler eo-extensive with said reflector battery extendingtbrongli but spaced 'from the hub Walls to avoid contact, with supporting means at tbe ends; and mechanism operatively associated with said liubs tor rotating tbe neectors and governing tbe speed oi" rotation.

ARTHUR V. FULSUM.

Witnesses:

G. E Grasa A. C. @carena 

